US embassy cable - 04ANKARA2600

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002600 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, TU 
SUBJECT: RULING PARTY, "SECULAR" OPPONENTS CLASH OVER 
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 
 
REF: ANKARA 2425 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador Eric S. Edelman; reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
 
1. (C) Summary: PM Erdogan's ruling AK Party has introduced a 
bill that would make it easier for graduates of imam hatip 
(Islamic preacher) high schools to enroll in university 
programs other than theology.  AK's opponents deride the bill 
as a threat to the secular State.  The opposition Republican 
Peoples' Party (CHP) and the Turkish General Staff (TGS), 
along with the Istanbul business establishment, have publicly 
criticized the bill and called for its withdrawal.  President 
Sezer has also come out against the bill and is expected to 
veto the legislation if it reaches his desk.  Some of our 
contacts blame AK for provoking the TGS into meddling in 
politics, thereby undermining Turkey's EU bid.  AK leaders 
maintain the bill would end a policy that unfairly 
discriminates against Turks who choose a religious education. 
 The Central Bank Governor warned GOT leaders that the 
controversy has unsettled the markets, and urged them to ease 
tensions.  End Summary. 
 
 
----------------------------- 
Bill Panned by TGS, President 
----------------------------- 
 
 
2. (U) The parliamentary Education Committee April 6 approved 
a draft law that would alter the structure of the Higher 
Education Council (YOK) and make it easier for graduates of 
imam hatip high schools to enroll in university programs 
other than theology.  CHP MPs walked out during committee 
debate to protest the imam hatip-related measure, and various 
elements of the "secular" Establishment quickly condemned the 
draft law and raised doubts about AK's motives.  The TGS 
issued a statement declaring that the draft would "undermine 
the principles of unity of education and secular education." 
(Note: Under a package of constitutional reforms expected to 
be adopted in Parliament May 7 (reftel), TGS would be 
stripped of its authority to name a representative to the YOK 
Board. End Note).  President Sezer told reporters that 
graduates of vocational (including imam hatip) and technical 
schools should pursue higher education in the same field. 
His comments are widely interpreted as a signal that he would 
veto the bill.  (Note: Other elements of the YOK bill will be 
reported septel.  End Note). 
 
 
----------------------------- 
Controversy Unsettles Markets 
----------------------------- 
 
 
3. (C) Central Bank Governor Serdengecti told us that 
political tension over the bill -- particularly in relation 
to the TGS statement -- has increased anxiety in the already 
nervous markets (septel).  Serdengecti said he called several 
Ministers and other politicians to warn them of the 
consequences and urge them to find a way to ease the 
tensions.  He also said senior Hurriyet reporter Sedat Ergin 
told him during a dinner hosted by the Ambassador May 6 that 
the GOT had agreed to withdraw the legislation.  The Ankara 
representative of TUSIAD (Turkish Industrialists and 
Businessmen's Association) told us TUSIAD has openly broken 
with the government for the first time to lobby against the 
bill, and predicted it will not pass. 
 
 
--------------------------------- 
AK Under Pressure from Hardliners 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
4 (C) However, there were no signs of a withdrawal April 7. 
Kemal Kaya, Parliament Technical Affairs Director, and Mesut 
Koc, Anatolia News Agency Parliament Bureau Deputy Chief, 
both predicted to us that the AK government will adopt the 
bill, knowing that the President will veto it.  Parliament 
can override a veto by passing the legislation a second time, 
in which case the President must either sign the  bill or 
submit it to the Constitutional Court for review.  After the 
veto, Kaya averred, the GOT will either quietly shelve the 
bill or override the veto and let the Constitutional Court 
overturn it.  (Note: The GOT could also leave the issue in 
limbo by declining to either take the bill to the full 
Parliament or formally withdraw it. End Note).  Kaya said AK 
is under tremendous pressure from its more hardline Islamic 
supporters, who are frustrated that the party's EU-focused 
agenda has prevented it from addressing Islamic issues.  AK 
hopes to deflect this frustration by forcing the President or 
Constitutional Court, bastions of traditional Turkish 
secularism, to block the bill, he said.  Koc said PM 
Erdogan's silence on the issue indicates he is measuring 
public reaction before deciding how to proceed.  The GOT in 
October withdrew a similar bill after it drew controversy. 
 
 
------------------------------- 
Bill Would Level Academic Field 
------------------------------- 
 
 
5. (C) Under current regulations, imam hatip schools are 
considered vocational schools.  The university entrance exam 
system is designed to channel vocational and technical school 
graduates into higher education programs in the same field as 
their high school study.  If a vocational school graduate 
applies for a university program in his field, his exam score 
is multiplied by a higher coefficient; if he applies for a 
program outside his field, his score is multiplied by a much 
lower coefficient.  As a result, imam hatip graduates are 
effectively barred from enrolling in any university programs 
other than theology.  The system of coefficients was 
established as a consequence of the 1997 "postmodern" 
military coup.  The draft legislation would re-arrange the 
system of coefficients in a way that would level the field 
for imam hatip graduates (and other vocational/technical 
school graduates) applying for the full range of university 
social sciences programs.  AK's opponents view this as an 
insidious effort to infiltrate Islam-oriented Turks into all 
elements of government and society.  As CHP Deputy Group 
Chairman Ali Topuz put it, "AK wants imam hatip graduates to 
become doctors, engineers, sub-governors, officers, and 
generals."  AK leaders counter that the current system 
constitutes religious discrimination.  Tayyar Altikulac, 
president of the Education Committee, averred to us recently 
that the whole controversy could have been avoided if the 
State had simply provided proper religious education in 
traditional schools.  He believes all schools should offer an 
optional religion course providing more extensive Islamic 
education than what is now available.  "If the (traditional) 
schools don't fulfill the demand for religious education, the 
debate will never end," he said. 
 
 
-------------------------- 
Controversy has Deep Roots 
-------------------------- 
 
 
6. (U) The imam hatip controversy is deeply rooted in the 
debate over the way "secularism" is defined and enforced by 
the State.  In theory, imam hatip schools serve the purpose 
of educating future imams.  In reality they serve as an 
institution for pious Turks frustrated with the limited 
religious education offered in traditional schools.  The 
number of imam hatip graduates far exceeds the demand for 
imams.  Moreover, a large portion of imam hatip students are 
girls, who cannot become imams in any case, though a few do 
become scholars of theology or administrators in the 
Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet).  Traditional 
families often decline to send their sons to imam hatip 
schools for fear of limiting their career options, instead 
sending their daughters, whose education they consider less 
important.  Some pious Turks -- including PM Erdogan -- send 
their daughters to universities in the U.S. or Europe, 
thereby avoiding both the imam hatip problem and the ban 
against wearing Islamic headscarves in Turkish universities. 
Imam hatip schools offer the full curriculum required for 
traditional schools, and in addition provide Koran and Arabic 
courses.  As a result, it takes four years to earn an imam 
hatip diploma, compared to three in a traditional high school. 
 
 
---------------------------------- 
AK Blamed for "Provoking" Military 
---------------------------------- 
 
 
7. (C) Debate over the bill has also agitated another chronic 
Turkish controversy -- the role of the military in government 
and politics.  Kaya criticized AK above all for bad timing. 
Just when Turkey appears to be making progress toward EU 
membership, AK provokes the military into making a political 
statement, he said.  Husnu Ondul, president of the Human 
Rights Association (dominated by non-religious Kurdish 
leftists), called on the GOT to amend the imam hatip-related 
portion of the bill, and averred that the TGS statement had 
damaged Turkey's image in the EU.  Faruk Demir, of the 
Advanced Strategy Center, views the TGS statement as a 
message that the military is through with sitting on the 
political sidelines and wants to revert to its traditional 
role as "defender of the secular State." 
 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
 
8. (C) Since coming to power in November 2002, AK has 
fastened its agenda, and its political future, to Turkey's 
domestically popular EU candidacy.  EU membership criteria 
have provided political cover for AK to pass a range of legal 
reforms opposed by powerful elements of the military and 
bureaucracy but demanded by the EU, including measures 
limiting the political influence of the TGS.  However, the 
Islam-related reforms desired by AK's hardcore religious 
faithful are not required for EU membership.  Those who 
predict AK will back down on the imam hatip issue may be 
right -- the party has on several occasions retreated under 
pressure after raising religious reform.  In any case, the 
President or Constitutional Court would almost certainly 
block the legislation.  Regardless of how this conflict plays 
out, the broader debate over the role of Islam in Turkey 
remains unresolved, highly charged, and will continue to 
force its way onto the agenda. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDELMAN